March 7, 2006 Grand Rapids, Mich - A week after the violence and riots that forced them to evacuate their homes, four missionaries for Christian Reformed World Missions in Northern Nigeria and one with World Relief, thanked God as they were able to return today.
"This is really good news, and has happened more swiftly and definitively than I had dared to imagine a week ago," said Nigeria Field Leader Albert Strydhorst in a communiqué to World Missions staffers on Saturday, in anticipation of the return.
Larry and Rose van Zee of Pella, Iowa, Dave and Jan Dykgraaf, of Grand Rapids, Mich., Christian Reformed World Relief (CRWRC) staff member Jeremiah Yongo, and 12 families of Nigerian Christians evacuated their homes February 26, after violent riots broke out in connection to the Danish cartoon fiasco. Yesterday, March 7, they returned to their ministry sites in Niger State
The return came after careful planning and consideration both on the field and in North America, but confidence solidified when Muslim officials in high, state positions trickled orders to local authorities to take action against rioters and invite Christians to return.
"The best report comes out of Ragada [a town in northwestern Nigeria], where the chief held a meeting on the order of the Chairman of the Mariga [a town] local government, who had been ordered to do so by the state governor," Strydhorst said.
The meeting resulted in a promise to arrest those involved in burning a Christian Reformed Church last week, and to compensate them for the loss of church property. The official stance and willingness to recognize Christians in the area led to a reciprocity from Christian victims.
"The Christians promised, through their pastor leaders, not to retaliate," said Strydhorst. "The local government then promised to maintain the peace."
Christian Reformed World Missions has been in Nigeria since 1920, and has been involved in assisting Nigerians to develop a national church that today includes three denominations with a total membership of well over 300,000.
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Henry Hess
Director of Communications
The Christian Reformed Church
To learn more about the Christian Reformed Church visit www.crcna.org <http://www.crcna.org/pages/index.cfm